Nigeria has taken a significant step in its efforts to rejuvenate its men’s national soccer team by hiring German coach Bruno Labbadia as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is hoping that Labbadia’s appointment will help the team get its flagging World Cup qualifying campaign back on track.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, comes at a time that the Super Eagles struggles to revive its campaign for World Cup qualification.
“The appointment is with immediate effect,” said Mohammed Sanusi, the general secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation. The urgency in the NFF’s decision is clear, as Nigeria finds itself in a precarious position in its 2026 World Cup qualifying group. After a disappointing start, Nigeria is currently second from the bottom, having failed to win any of its opening four games.
Bruno Labbadia, who is 58 years old, has been out of work since April 2023. His last managerial role was with Stuttgart, a club in the German Bundesliga and his tenure there ended in disappointment as he was fired due to the team’s continued poor performance. Under his leadership, Stuttgart slipped to the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, leading to his dismissal. Despite this setback, Labbadia is a seasoned coach with experience managing several top-tier German clubs, including Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Darmstadt.
Labbadia’s track record shows mixed results. During his second stint at Stuttgart, he only managed to secure two wins from 12 games—one victory in the league and another in the German Cup. However, Labbadia’s overall experience in coaching multiple top clubs, along with his playing career as a goal-scoring forward for Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautern, where he helped win Bundesliga titles in the 1990s, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Nigerian team.
The Super Eagles, have had a turbulent journey in recent months. In November last year, they managed two 1-1 draws, one against Lesotho and the other against Zimbabwe. These results were under the leadership of Portuguese coach José Peseiro, who guided the team to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Nigeria fell short in the tournament, losing in the final to the host nation, Ivory Coast, in February. Despite the setback, Peseiro’s leadership was initially seen as a step in the right direction, but things took a turn after the Africa Cup of Nations.
Following Peseiro’s departure, the NFF decided to promote his assistant, Finidi George, to the position of head coach in April. George, a former right winger with significant experience as a player, was expected to bring a fresh perspective to the team. Unfortunately, his tenure did not bring the desired improvement. Under his management, the team drew 1-1 with South Africa and then suffered a 2-1 defeat in Benin in June.
Reports suggest that Finidi George resigned after not being informed about the NFF’s plans to bring in a technical advisor to oversee his work. This lack of communication reportedly led to his decision to step down, although the NFF did not publicly acknowledge his resignation.
Labbadia’s first test as Nigeria’s coach will come soon, with two crucial games in the 2025 Africa Cup qualifying against Benin and Rwanda on September 7 and 10, respectively. These matches will be a significant opportunity for Labbadia to assess the team’s strengths and weaknesses and implement his strategies to secure vital wins.
